This is a very good AHA lotion designed for the body. The fragrance-free formula contains a 15% concentration of AHAs glycolic acid and ammonium glycolate at a pH of 3.2, so this will work to exfoliate dry, sun damaged skin. The only problem (well, beyond this product's high price) is that the amount of AHAs may prove too irritating for daily use. Generally, a 10% concentration is the safest amount when you want to balance maximum results with a reduced potential for irritation.

The trick with AHA or BHA exfoliants is to make sure the benefits outweigh the risks, and that line is somewhat blurred when concentrations above 10% are used daily. Still, this remains a great AHA option to consider, perhaps to alternate with your regular body lotion or for short-term use on particularly sun-damaged areas (such as the chest). As with any AHA product, its use should include daily application of a well formulated sunscreen rated SPF 15 or greater. This product deserves our highest rating because it goes beyond merely exfoliating skin.

Note that there is no research proving AHAs help improve the orange-peel appearance of cellulite; however, in theory, using an AHA exfoliant on cellulite should mildly improve its appearance due to better skin texture.

Vivité (pronounced 'Vee-va-tay') is a small skin-care line developed and owned by Allergan, the pharmaceutical company behind Botox and the lash-enhancing drug Latisse, among other products. This isn't the first time Allergan has forayed into the skin-care market; they previously partnered with Clinique on that company's "Medical" product line. Clinique Medical is medical in name only, and there isn't anything medicinal or pharmaceutical about Vivité, either. These products aren't akin to getting dermatologist-strength results at home. Besides, dermatologist-strength skin-care products are not sold without a prescription, so the whole notion is nothing more than a marketing sham. So, please don't buy into that hype.

The main reason to consider Vivité products is if you're interested in well-formulated, pH-correct alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) products. Several Vivité products contain effective blends of glycolic acid and ammonium glycolate. Although glycolic acid is a great way to exfoliate skin and offers multiple benefits for sun-damaged skin, it isn't the only ingredient you should focus on. Skin care at any age is much more complex than simply supplying one key ingredient. For example, despite glycolic acid's multiple benefits, it cannot protect your skin from sunlight, it doesn't rebuild skin's healthy barrier on its own, and it cannot defend skin from oxidative damage. Think of skin care as you would a healthy diet, if you ate only one type of food you wouldn’t be healthy for long; skin acts the same way. Skin is a complex organ that requires a complex array of substances to function in a younger manner and to be as healthy and normal as possible.

Allergan took an interesting angle with Vivité, using something called GLX Technology™. They have the patent on this and they claim it will partially neutralize the glycolic acid so that the acid releases into the skin over an extended period of time and at a pH closer to that of our skin, which is about 5 to 5.5. While that sounds like a gentler way to use AHAs (because the pH is closer to that of our skin), research shows that AHAs have optimal exfoliation when formulated in a base with a pH less than 4. As it turns out, all of the Vivité products with glycolic acid have a pH of 3.8, which means you can ignore the point-of-difference about pH and GLX Technology™—it certainly seems that Allergan did—and be assured that these products will exfoliate as claimed (Sources: Dermatologic Surgery, February 2005, pages 149–154; and Cosmetic Dermatology, October 2001, pages 15–18).

Allergan wants you to think their AHA products have an edge, but they don't. However, their leave-on AHA products will certainly exfoliate skin and also provide AHAs' other benefits, though some precautions are warranted, as you'll see in the reviews.

The Beautypedia Research Team is dedicated to helping you find the absolute best products for your skin, using research-based criteria to review beauty products from an honest, balanced perspective. Each member of the team was personally trained by Paula Begoun herself.